Some interesting things are being written these days about how an intelligent person of moderately conservative views finds him- or herself standing with respect to the extant political parties. More specifically, the question is raised, Is the Republican Party in its present state a place where such a person can be comfortable? The answer is, without much doubt, No. Should it be?

Both major American political parties are prone to occasional outbreaks of populism. Populism has its good points – it does remind us that the government and the nation belong or ought at least to be thought of as belonging to the whole people, not just to those of great property and influence. But it has always eventually degenerated into spiteful small-mindedness. Intelligent and honest citizens can usually find a place in the early phases of a populist outbreak, helping to clarify values and shape policies for the betterment of all; but the latter phases gradually and inevitably dismay and then disgust them. And in those times the feelings are mutual, for the leaders and spokesmen who emerge then often seem to have harbored their resentment of the intelligent since third grade.

the degeneracy of the Republican party today makes every thinking person I know wince. It doesn’t debunk conservative ideas about the failures of government solutions, the wisdom of markets, the necessity for sound money and balanced budgets, or the need for prudence in foreign policy. But the association with these debt-ridden, torture-loving, big government authoritarians is awful. And people are only human. What serious thinker wants to support the party of Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck?

He linked to a brief piece by Nate Silver, who in turn pointed to an essay by Richard Posner. They agree that the Republicans have a serious problem in having repelled and in some cases expelled thoughtful, temperate supporters. I suggest you read both. I have no idea who is in charge of the Republican Party, and it may be that no one really is; but if it’s Rush Limbaugh – who seems to believe that he is – or someone like him, then nothing these men write will make any difference. Nor will this challenge from Max Borders, who offers some specific policy advice for a rejuvenated, recerebrated party.

Of his five points, I’m fully on board with Nos. 1, 2, and 3: Legalize drugs; Civil unions; and Means-test everything. The first one is no doubt the most immediately controversial, in that it would lend itself so easily to demagoguery from the knee-jerk right, but there simply is no ground left for opposition to it other than cynical fear-mongering. I think Number 2 is going to happen; the only question is how long the opposition will keep up a losing battle, and the answer is as long as it wins an election in some out-of-the-way place. Number 3 is a bit of a sleeper. Borders focuses on individual entitlements and only at the end quietly drops in “No corporate welfare.” Those three little words disguise a bomb, a big one.

Numbers 4 and 5 I am less enthusiastic about. Legislative formulas intended to control future budgets have a way of backfiring when they aren’t simply evaded; California is a good, or rather very bad, example. And I think Borders is a little more skeptical than I am about this global warming thing, although I have no alternative policy formulation to offer. But what we have here is a good start towards a party that would stand for responsibility, private, corporate, and governmental. Neither current party does much of that.

I don’t know what his next five suggestions will be, but I hope the exercise will generate some useful discussion. Right here on Britannica Blog would be as good a place as any to begin.